The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-01-17
SHAKEN BY POWDER.
ARTIFICIAL EARTHQUAKE
On tho Pncinc Const-OnS Hundred 7hou.
sand rou nhs OF Powder Expiodes, MAX.
lnE til" Earth Tronibie md Com.
plotriy wrerllnr tho Gin HOUSE,

BAN FRANclsco, CAL, Jan. lG.-At mid.
night last nirht|the Merchants Excht u0e
received telephone message from Point
Lsbas signal station that the schoe ner
Parallel had been driven on tho re cka
near Golden Cato aud probably would
prove a total loss. An hour later mes.
sage was received tha! an immense quan.
tity Of ginnt powlsr aboard the schooner
had blown up, destroying the C!iT house
aad other buildings in tho neighborhood.
Rsportora and poics officers were hur.
richly despatchelto 10 the scene and tho fol.
lowing particulars obtained:
Tho Parallel sailed Friday last WIN y
cargo OF general merchandise for Aatoyja
Oregon. She proceeded north until com.
pelied by strong head winds to return.
she reached the entrance to the Golden
Cato yesterday evening The wind had
died out, and being caught by tide the
vessel was swept ashore, inside the famous
aeal rocks opposite tho Cliif house. The
lile saving people near by were notified
and hastened to the scene. The captain
and all hands had taken to the boats.
but chen 1t was found imp ,esible 10 make
q landing in the heavy surf then running
they ntood away for au entrance TO thc
harbor. Alter being abandoned the yessel
dritted south, where she pounded seainst
the rocks, and at midnight was breaking nm
It was known that she had a large op,an.
tity OF powder aboard, but no danger was
apprehended. The mon from tho lifs
saving station seeing nothing could be
aone' and knowing the schooner had
been abandoned, withdrew a few minutes
before one o'clock.
A FEARFUL EXPLOSION,
They had hardly Preached the station
building when fearful explosion oc.
Cured, accttering destruction on all sides.
Nearly 100000 pounds Of powder had ex.
p!oded. 10 those living in the neighbor-
hood the etlecs WAS frightful. The signal
station was demoliahed. The life saving
station was also wrecked, and the west
slda OF the Gill House waa blown out and
every. window pane, broken. Adolph
sutro's observatory on the heights above
was shattered, and all the windows in hig
house broken. Three members OF the
Mo saving crew were hurled in tho
air by the concussion and eeverely
injured in being assin dashed to the earth.
iho remaining members Of the crew, who
had returned to the station, rushed 10 the
rescus OF tie injured, ns It was feared their
close proximity to the explosion must
have resulted to their injury. One Of
them. Horace Smith, who had his limbs
20 ditjointed as To make his suffering in
tense: For time his life was despaired
ot. The two others, Charles Rodgers and
John Wilaon, escaped with less serious in.
juries.
l- FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION.
Captain Hayslop in command OF the
lille saving station thus describes the ex-
ploaioa: At one o'clock the aleepers we're
thrown from their beds by the explosion,
which made them think that the earth
quake hed upheaved the cliff. A great
waye dashed up and vaulted over the
Cliff house building. The whole
shore and cliff literally trembled as no
earthquake has shaken the earth. The
people were thrown from their beds by
the force OF tho explosion. The furniture
and bedstesds were tossed about the
ROOM"
The, famous Cliff House ia completely
pyYt II .#